Apparatus for compacting concrete or similar surfaces



April 17, 1934. 1,955,101

APIPARAIUS FOR COMPACTING CONCRETE OR SIMILAR SURFACES v F. P. SLOAN IFiled April 7.1932

INVENTOR: glea BY mmw kmtg rCM 4 ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 17, 1934 PATENT)OFFICE- UNITED STATES.

APPARATUS FOR COMPACTING CONCRETE OR S SURFA IMILAR CES This inventionis a novel apparatus for compacting concrete or similar surfaces, ormachine for effecting repeated compressing actions upon any kind of asurface or bed. In the embodiment as herein illustrated the apparatus isespecially adapted to the compressing or finishing of a bed of cementmortar, notably for compacting a layer of comparatively small thicknessof cement mortar applied as a finished surface upon a hard or othersub-base or support; although the features of improvement are useful formany other industrial purposes.

The general object of the present invention is to afford a compactingapparatus of improved l5 efliciency and convenience of operation. In thecase of treating a finishing layer of cement mortar the object is toinsure an intimate or molecular contact between such top layer and thesubbase, which for example may be of hard concrete, the action servingto fill all voids and expel air bubbles and drops of water so as toimprove to the maximum the permanent union between the top layer and thebase. A particular object is to afford a compacting apparatus of thekind operated by a 'vibratable mass and wherein the gravity pressure ortotal weight upon the surface to be treated may be increasedsubstantially without impairing the efliciency of the vibratory action.A further object is to provide for adjustment of action to suit thecharacter of the work to be performed. Other and further objects andadvantages of the invention will be explained in the hereinafterfollowing description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention orwill be understood by those conversant with the subject. v

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1v is a side elevation, partly brokenaway, of a compacting apparatus embodying the present invention. Fig. 40.2 is a plan view thereof, partly in section on the section line 2-2 ofFig. 1.

t The invention, in one aspect, may be described as a compactingapparatus comprising a base with its under side of substantial areaadapted to rest upon the surface tobe treated; and an inertia weight ofsubstantial mass movably mounted upon said base to be thrust or vibratedrelatively toward and from the base, or with an up and down component,thereby to cause compacting vibrations or impulses of the base; togetherwith a load or mass'of substantial weight comparable with that of thebase, preferably heavier than the base, the same arranged in non-rigidrelation to the base, or suspended in resilient relation thereto,whereby to impose continuously its weight as a supplemental gravity loador pressure upon the base, yet without adding or imposing substantialresistance to the vibration of the base; and a power operable actuatoror motor of any sort forvibrating or actuating the inertia weight atsufficiently high speed to cause effective compactingvibrations orimpulses of the base as it rests continuously upon the surface to becompacted, smoothed or finished. The resilient or non-rigid connectionof the free or floating load to the base gives the effect that the totaldepressing weight of the, apparatus is effectively far greater than theportion thereof requiring to be vibrated by the motor and inertia massto produce the compacting action; so that both of these advantageousactions, depression and vibration, are afforded to the utmost withoutmutual conflict.

Referring to the illustrated embodiment, resting upon the cementsurface, bed, floor or other surface 9 to be treated is shown a base orbottom member 10 of the apparatus. This may be composed of metal or woodand its under side is preferably generally fiat, but with its undercorners substantially rounded at all sides as indicated.

The inertia mass 11 by which the compacting vibrations are produced ismovably mounted upon or above the base so as to vibrate relatively tothe base or in an up and down manner, for example by rotating about anaxis in respect to which the mass is unbalanced or eccentric so thatduring its rotary motions its up and down component constitutes aneffective vibration reacting with the base to cause compactingvibrations of the latter. Obviously the single inertia mass shown may beduplicated or multiplied and the several masses may operate either inunison or out of phase in order to secure any desired particularreaction upon the base, or a horizontal reaction to assist the shiftingof the apparatus upon the surface 9.

The'inertia mass or weight 11 may be driven by power through a motor 12of any desired kind or type. For example the motor may be fluidoperated, or a magnetic solenoid, but is indicated as a rotary electricmotor. Such motor may be variously positioned, for example mounted uponthe base as shown, or for that matter upon the suspended load to bedescribed, or even at a remote point, with suitable flexible oruniversal connections to the inertia mass.

Preferably the motor driven inertia mass 11, is mounted above the baseupon an upstanding bracket, frame or casing 13 which is rigid withbracket or casing and carrying the unbalanced mass 11. As shown thecasing 13 constitutes the enclosure for the motor 12, the shaft 14 beingthe motor shaft so that the motor directly actuates the inertia mass.

the base, operates to impose a continuous gravity force or pressure uponthe base, which pressure is always positive. At the same time due to thenon-rigid relation the base may be vibrated without substantialresistance from the load ing action may obviously be or its inertia, themovement being small but the pressure being varied between positivelimits.

The resilient load 15 and its mounting may be variously designed andlocated. The load for example may be subdivided and placed at oppositesides of the motor. In the construction shown theload 15 is built up ofseparate or removable sections or plates 16 resting upon a base sectionor shelf 17, so that the total weight of the load may be adjusted asdesired, the shelf 17 having upstanding positioning pins 18 engagingwith side notches 18a in the platesto position them, and with clampingnuts threaded on the bolts. By having the load in removable andreplaceable sections or units its action may thereby be adjusted to thecharacter or hardness of the surface under treatment; and thecompactadjustable by varying the mass or throw of the inertia weight 11,or its speed of drive.

The mounting of the load 15 above the base may take various forms. Forthis purpose a skeleton frame is shown consisting of four upright posts19 composed for example of light angle irons, each pair of which may beinterconnected by a bent section 20 of the same angle iron, and theframe completed by a pair of horizontal tie rods 21, the horizontalmembers 20 and 21 forming'a square support from which the load may besuspended.

The resilient suspension ofv the load may be through a plurality ofsuspension springs 22, one being shown at each corner of the frame,these depending from the tie rods 21 and at their lower ends connectedto depending extensions 23 of the shelf 17. The shelf is further shownas having at each corner a guide notch 24 running vertically on theadjacent post or upright 19.

This description substantially completes the machine with the exceptionof means for shifting it about the surface to be compacted. While suchshifting may be effected by dragging or other action it is shownasreadily accomplished manually by means of inclined handle bars 25secured by angle pieces 26 on top of the base 10, with their outer endsin a convenient position for manual operation.

In practical use theentire apparatus may be shifted by sliding about thesurface, which is facilitated by the fact that the base is undercontinuous forcible vibration, and the rotary movement of the vibratorymass is believed to facilitate the bodily shifting of the apparatus.When desired the apparatus may be tilted by lifting or depressing thehandles to apply especial stress to certain parts of the work; and insome cases the base may be in the nature of a 1,966,101 the base, with ashaft 14 extending throughthehollow roller of light weight, with thedevices located inside to elTect the vibratory and the gravitydepressing actions.

In any form it is preferred that the base and the parts carried rigidlyby it be relatively light, while the load having anon-rigid or resilientconnection to the base is relatively heavy. To give a specific instance,the illustrated apparatus may comprise a base about 12 inches by 24inches and the frame 15 inches high, the light baseand frame and rigidlyconnected parts, including the motor, weighing for example 100 pounds,while the supplemental load may be considerably greater, for example 200pounds more or less.. This arrangement, with the vibrating means inrigid relation to the. base andthe'supplemental load independentlymounted in non-rigid relation to the base, affords the double advantageof highly effective compacting action by the vibratory mass not renderedineffective by the load, anda highly effective compressing or depressingaction by the load, continuously and steadily applied through itsmounting notwithstanding-the vibratory action. By combining the motorwith the load, as by attaching it under the shelf 17, and connecting itby universal connections to drive the mass or masses, both the vibratingaction and the effectiveness of-the load may be.

increased.

The principles may be variously embodied; for example the mass insteadof being attached to the motor shaft may be thrust upwardly anddownwardly, with either circular or reciprocating motion, for example byan eccentric or cam; the load maybe of any character; anelevated cradleor container may be provided, hung resiliently ,above the shaft with theload thrown loosely therein, or the load itself may be of a resilientcharacter; and in any case the resilient or spring mounting may besupplemented by any known form of damping means to prevent undesirablevibration of the load.

Certain features herein described but not specifically claimed have beenmade the basis of copending application Serial No. 715,417, filed March14, 1934, to which reference may be made for the particulars thereof,namely the feature of a roller as the base of the compactingapparatus,'the same rollable over-the floor during compacting, andgiving support to the operating means; also the feature of the actuationof the inertia mass relative to the base in an up and down mannerwithout revolution, that is, a linear reciprocation, as by a cam,eccentric or solenoid, giving a straight line reaction with the base.

Having described an illustrative embodiment of the invention andexplained the much wider application of the principles involved, it isstated that it is not intended to limit the invention to disclosematters of construction and detail except to the extent set forth in therespective claims.

What is claimed is: 1. A compacting apparatus comprising a base ofsubstantial area adapted to rest continuously upon the surface to betreated, an inertia weight of substantial mass movably mounted upon saidbase to be thrust relatively toward and from the base thereby to causecompacting impulses of l and a motor for actuating said inertia weightat a speed out of resonance with theload. 2. A compacting apparatuscomprising a base adapted to rest continuously upon the surface to betreated, an inertia weight of substantial mass movably mounted upon saidbase to be thrust or vibrated relatively toward and from the basethereby to cause compacting impulses of. the base, a floating load ofsubstantial weight comparable with that of the base mounted or sus-'pended in resilient relation to the base whereby to impose continuouslyits weight as a supplemental gravity load upon .the base withoutsubstantial resistance to the vibration of the base, and a poweroperable means or motor for vibrating said inertia weight at high speed,not in resonance with the load.

3. A compacting apparatus comprising a base, a motor driven inertiaweight of substantial mass movably mounted upon said base to be thrustupwardly and downwardly thereby to cause compacting impulses of thebase, and a floating load of substantial weight suspended in resilientrelation above the base whereby to impose continuously its weight as asupplemental gravity load upon the base without substantial resistanceto the vibration of the base.

4. A compacting apparatus comprising a rigid base with its under side ofsubstantial area adapted to rest continuously flatly upon the surface tobe treated, an upstanding frame in substantially rigid relation to thebase, an inertia weight of substantial mass movably mounted on saidframe to vibrate relatively toward and from the base thereby to causecompacting impulses of the base, a load of substantial weight comparablewith that of the base and frame suspended in resilient relation abovethe base whereby to impose continuously its weight as a supplementalgravity load upon the base without substantial resistance to thevibration of the base. and a motor for vibrating said inertia weight athigh speed.

5. A compacting apparatus comprising -a rigid base, a power operatedinertia weight of substantial mass movably mounted on said base tovibrate relatively toward and from the base thereby to cause compactingimpulses of the base, and a floating dead load of substantial weightsubstantially not less than that of-the base and frame, the samesuspended in elevated location and in resilient relation to the basewhereby to impose continuously its weight as a supplemental gravity loadupon the base without substantial resistance to the vibration of thebase.

6. Apparatus as in claim 1 and wherein the load is of separable sectionsremovable and replaceable to vary the gravity depressing action thereof.

7. Apparatus as in claim 2 and wherein the load is of separable sectionsremovable and replaceable to vary the gravity depressing action thereof.

8. Apparatus as in claim 4 and wherein the load is of separable sectionsremovable and replaceable to vary the gravity depressing action thereof.7

9. Apparatus as in claim 5 and wherein the load is of separable sectionsremovable and replaceable to vary the gravity depressing action thereof.

FRANCIS P. SLOAN.

